Community members get slimy at science demo

By AMADEUS SMITHasmith@the-review.comPublished: August 5, 2014 3:00AM

Slime and strawberry DNA may not be exactly what one would expect to find at the Alliance's Farmers' Market, but they were there.

As part of Rodman Public Library's summer reading program, which is science-focused this year, the mother-son team of Rita and Nathan Morrison, both science teachers for Marlington Local Schools, invited marketgoers to make slime and pull DNA from strawberries.

Nathan, who teaches at Marlington Middle School, added borax to cup of polyvinyl alcohol. With a little stirring, the mixture almost immediately transformed from a liquid to a, well, slime.

Demetrius Nicholson, 10, a student at Parkway Elementary School, had a little trouble getting the slime unstuck from his stirrer.

While Nathan was getting participants to mix up some slime, Rita, who teaches at Marlington High School, was busy helping others take DNA from strawberries.

The process involves a few different steps in breaking the strawberry down.

Participants were told to mash up the strawberry with their hands (the strawberry was in a zip-close plastic bag). Rita then added meat tenderizer and Dawn dish soap to further break the strawberry down.

"The meat tenderizer helps break down the cell walls," Rita said.

She also said that the experiment will only work using name brand dish soap. The generic stuff just doesn't work.

After the strawberry had been broken down, she used an alcohol solution to separate the DNA from the fruit.

"DNA for sale," Walter Steed, a regular at the Alliance Farmers' Market, yelled jokingly as he inspected the small gray bits of DNA floating in the alcohol.

Carla Miller, bookmobile manager for Rodman Public Library, said the summer reading program has included regular activities at the market, including story readings, science demonstrations and a digital petting zoo. The digital petting zoo is a free electronic service that allows community members to ask library staff members questions about their gadgets.

Miller said about 50 to 60 people participate in the activities or use the bookmobile each week at the market. Although not surprised by the turnout for the slime and DNA demo in general, she wasn't expecting the adults to get involved.

"It's interesting that we've had some older people come up today," she said.